Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	country_n	great_a	time_n	3,204	5	3.1404	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70873	Mr. William Wheelers case from his own relation	Wheeler, William, 17th cent.; Parker, Henry, 1604-1652.	1645 (1645)	Wing P408; ESTC R7646	9,609	12

and offered divers other ignoble indignities to me in his own House About that time also I was reduced to so pinching extremities that for 25 dayes besides Gods infinite mercy I had no more then 10 Stivers to preserve me from famishing and which way soever I turned my self for relief I found my way blockt up with difficulties so evill an eye there was over me that I was prevented of Trust nay my very pawns were refused and could not be taken Farre was I now from proceeding in my Fabricks those Mils and Frames which I had begun and perfected with great trouble and expence I could not keep after my goods and materials had been part broken part stome part thrown into the streets by the exaction of Sasse when Sir Wil. Boswell refused me 5 li. to save them I had built a place my self in a peece of ground belonging to one of the Lords in the Town thinking to secure my Engins Utensils from further violence but the place was soon broken open the boards were taken away the Mils were spoiled and no remedie could be procured My fortune was also to take two of the theeves in the manner whereupon with my sword in the scabbord I strooke them not knowing how to bring them to condigne punishment but they presently escaped from me and scarce any thing ever proved more mischievous in the event then this revenge of mine so taken upon them for not long after as I was walking in the backside of the Town by the Moat that runs by the Princes garden being alone and unarm'd I was incountred by the same two Theeves as I conceive and about 8 more who with spades and shovels and other weapons fell upon me and cruelly wounded me so that to save my life I was inforced to take the Moat and to dive to the bottome for brickbats to defend my self At my rising out of the water one of the Princes Fishermen who had been a ring-leader before in the other fray upon the Spie-bridge at that time when I was wounded with Cap. Lucas took hold of my haire and kept me down in the water under his boat untill I was almost spent and then pluckt me out half dead as if He had been courteous in saving me Being drawn out so wet in a cold season and so hurt by the help of Robinson who then appear'd I got ho●e to his house not farre distant from the place and there shifted my cloths But the said Robinson and his wife by that opportunitie got my keyes out of my pockets went to my lodging ransackt there my trunks took away divers Models and secrets of value together with some attestations concerning my businesse as also other writings and an ancient pedigree of my Grandfathers out of which they eraced divers names Some of these they carried to Sir Wil. B●swell for I have my self seen them since at his house the rest they kept or dispersed into divers parts of the Countrey ●s knowing that they were proofs to difference my works from other mens and to manifest the noveltie and rarity of my Inventions For about a fortnight also during my abode in Robinsons house whilest I was weak the house was much visited by some of the Queen of Englands Trayne who were very desirous often to converse and drink with me and I accordingly did severall times gratifie them with my company Amongst other conference they invited me to undertake the charge of an Engineer in the warre against the English Parliament making me beleeve they did expect great and eminent service from me if I would accept of imployment and when I was not inclining thereunto they endeavoured to divert me some other way offering me imployment in Brabant and solliciting me also much to turn my Religion These propositions taking no effect with me I found cause to suspect that the cups wherin I had drunk in their company had been secretly mixed with some veneficall or magicall ingredients for I found my self strangely driven into fits of Lunacie and not onely distempered but also tortured both in body and mind My understanding neverthelesse did not wholly depart from me and therefore I demanded my keyes of Rohinson but could get no other answer but that they were delivered to Sir Wil. Boswell I desired then that a new lodging might be taken for me in some place more convenient quiet and neerer to my Works then my former was wherein Robinson promist presently to accommodate me Upon this pretence He went forth and at his return in the Evening He undertook to wait on me having an other in his company to my new taken chamber but I suspecting no plot or treachery in Him was led into a Dulhouse or Bedlam As soon as I had entred the chamber Robinson and the other stept suddenly out and the doore was lockt and bolted upon me and I was there left alone inclosed to be treated as a man utterly mad and raving The place was solitary and far from resort of people and as I had no hopes of any help but by calling out a loud so my loud calling or hollowing was interpreted as the symptome of my distraction Seeing my self remedilesly thus lost to all the world but such as had conspired my destruction I betook my self to God and submitted my self to be removed from roome to roome and to be ordered in my diet and other things as they pleased and for nine moneths space the miseries of my martyrdome was exceeding sharp and exquisite Mr. Gwyn with other of Sir Wil. Boswels servants and my man Robinson came upon visits often to me pretending to pitie my Lunacie and to do charitable offices but their common practise was to force potions upon me which my nature abhorr'd and when I could not chuse but be reluctant to them five or six at a time of them fell upon me with clubs and staves using inexpressible cruelties till I had drunk them off After I had drunk their compositions I was possest after an unheard of manner but these reasons make me think that what I did and suffered in my fits were not the effects of meer phrenzie but some diabolicall art and sorcerie for first My senses remained so with me that I my self sensibly condoled my own condition and held my self as a slave under those commands which I would fain have disobeyed but could not Secondly I was never subject to the like ravings before that time or since Thirdly my yard did begin to be drawn up into my belly my hands limbes and whole body was contracted or benummed or some way tortured till I did act and speak according to the commands which were upon me the force thereof broke out of my flesh brought my nails from my fingers and almost my eyes out of my head and this is not the operation of that which Physitions call laesa Phantasia Fourthly divers odious sents almost poysoned the roome to the taking away of my breath and leaving me neer suffocated as

also divers spirits in antick forms appear'd to me in dances and one in the likenesse of a Cat kept neer my roome and for divers moneths removed not till I had acted all those parts over as they thought fit Some things I did as a Playstrer some as a Bricklayer some as an other Artist or Tradesman doing all things in all Arts whatsoever sometimes I was constrained to declare my Religion sometimes my affection to that Countrey and I could enjoy no quiet at all till I did obey in all Fifthly these charms most especially inforced me either to discover the secrets of my Profession and that ability and knowledge which was requisite to the finishing of my Works or else to use violence to my self by running my head against the wall or otherwise But in these two the mercy of God most admirably fortified me so that I did conceal my chief skill as knowing that then they would no longer let me live and whereas they had fixed nayls in the wall purposely for me to beat my head against I did knowingly avoid the same Sixthly some things were done by my hand at that time which no mortall man naturally could do much lesse could I being under lunacie for when they had set paper and pen and inke beside me I wrought half a quire of paper in an houre and drew some Mathematicall lines without Instruments as exactly as if I had had Instruments Seventhly whereas I was inforced to eat my own dung and drink my own water to sit stark naked in the bitterest frosty nights of Winter and to take some purgations when my body was empty and so could void nothing but blood upwards and downwards I yet overcame all these things and came off with life which I think none could have done that was not miraculously preserved as well as diabolically tortured Nine wofull Moneths of Martyrdome were now run out and yet the faculties of my memory and intellect were not wholly broken though much weakned and now Robinson and Palmer who during my imprisonment had conspired with Sir Robert Honywood to imitate my Works and usurp them as their own saw their skill failed and their hopes frustrated therein 140 li. or thereabouts had been disbursed by them in new assayes and in trials to perfect some Works begun by me and operate without me but all would not do and therefore t' was thought fit that I should be again inlarged and incouraged to accomplish those things which they could not Some things therefore upon my release I did bring to expedition and some Engines of my own which were of 100 guilders in their hands I did make serviceable and sold for a thousand guilders to an understanding Engineer one Captain Flood but I would not be induced to assist Robinson the Traytor in any of his Works or such as belonged to his confederates Being at liberty also I travell'd about in the Countrey to observe what imitations of my Works had been made and I found that in divers places they had attempted but not perfected the same yet at Leydon and some other places by my Inventions and the advantage of some of my Models taken out of my Trunks as aforesaid they had brought some Works to a good perfection even to a double improvement of what they had been before I was resolved therefore by one addresse more to Sir Will Boswell to make one further attempt in the reviving of my businesse and in order thereunto about March 1643. I put my self upon his friendly assistance as my utmost refuge and desired his favour to procure 10000 guilders for me but his conditions proposed were extreame and rigorous and no lesse then a totall forfeiture of all my fortunes was inwrapped in them Hereupon I plainly perceived it was absolutely impossible for me to grapple with so many disasters conspiracies injuries necessities in a strange Countrey having at Court in the City in the Countrey every where malicious subtle perfidious Enemies to crush my hopes and so in April following I set sail for England Since my arrivall here I understand vast debts are in my absence charged upon me in Holland the greatest part whereof were incurred by my sicknesses or wrongfull imprisonment or by Robinsons false accounts skores which He has wrongfully set upon my head or by other mens unjust pretences wherein I am condemned without being able to make defence or wage Law And now for these debts my Patent taken from me when I was in the Dulhouse all my right is by publick Order sold and disposed of as I hear For a further prosecution also of so dejected a helples a man lest I should hereafter recover breath or strength to rise again I am still pressed by Sir Wil. Boswell in his letters to Mr. Bullen here in Tower-street and to others of his correspondoes He still cuts me off from all hopes of future recrutes by disabling my credit vilifying my Works disparaging my abilities and depraving my intentions This being my hard Case truly stated and faithfully represented and since it appears hereby that as my past sufferings have been beyond the strength of such a man as I am so my future oppositions are likely to transcend all ordinary resistance I make it my most humble submissive Request to the High and Mighty States That they will by a publick extraordinarie hand of Justice afford me a redresse and support suitable to the nature of my unequall'd grievances Two things I undertake to make sensibly demonstrable 1. That the Water-works in the Netherlands have been exceedingly improved to the great publick advantage of the united Provinces by my discoveries since the publishing of my Inventions in 1640. 2. That for the time to come if due incouragement and means may be allowed me I will by Gods assistance yet bring to further perfection and doubly advance the same Water-works as they are already improved and for a further addition also make a new discovery of some other Works and Engines which shall be of rare use and service to the publick in experiments of an other nature If these Overtures be thought worthy to be taken into consideration I desire the Conditions and proceedings thereupon may be managed with sufficient caution on both parts if these things seem of light credit yet thus far I have strived to be true to my own honor and to do right to a most honorable and faire Cause